Goddard reportedly spent his later years working as a special education teacher, but before that, he starred in 3 seasons of the early TV classic “Lost in Space,” assisting the Robinson family on their journey into the unknown as the Space Corps pilot of the spacecraft Jupiter 2. Goddard reminisced about the show in an interview with Inside Edition in 2017, noting that he hated the corny silver space suits the cast had to wear and calling the shiny Netflix update of the series “spectacular.” Though the old show is certainly a lot less sleek than the updated version (its first season was even in black in white), it’s still remembered as an influential early sci-fi series.
Outside of the “Lost in Space” franchise, Goddard also starred in the late-’50s Western series “Johnny Ringo” and the family sitcom “Many Happy Returns.” In “The Detectives,” he played Sgt. Chris Ballard in a series that featured a rotating cast of investigators across its three seasons. In fact, turn on any classic TV channel and you’ll probably spot an appearance from Goddard sooner than later: aside from the above roles, he also appeared as a guest star in classic shows like “The Rifleman,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Gunsmoke,” “Perry Mason,” “The Fugitive,” and more. His last major TV role came in 1986 when he played radio station manager Derek on “General Hospital.”
The actor returned for a cameo role in the “Lost in Space” movie in 1996 and wrote about it in his autobiography “To Space and Back,” saying, “I was really happy that I could have closure on my acting career.” Goddard will be missed.